196X...

I walked into the throne room in a confused state. I was not sure what to say... or what to do from this point onward. So many had fallen now... who was even left...?

"Doctor Gaster." Asgore quietly gasped as I entered. "What has happened?" he asked with worry.

I could only muster enough strength to shake my head at him. I was disillusioned about our hope now... Even now, standing here in partial sunlight coming from above, I felt cold... alone... hopeless in the darkness that filled me...

W.D...

"Where is...?' Mystrium began to ask. "By the stars... Who will be next?" he quickly realized, stepping back, with a wild, confused, expression.

"Are we any closer to finding a cure?" Asgore asked me.

"N-no..." I forced myself to answer.

They both gasped and winced at that grim reality made real by my one stuttered word.

"We will have no choice then..." Asgore said somberly. "Go and seal off the path between Waterfall and Hotland." he ordered Mystrium. "Perhaps we can buy ourselves some more time." he shook his head in disbelief.

"Yes... Asgore. Right away..." Mystrium replied, with a hint of anger in his tone.

It was of some comfort to know Mystrium was well enough to handle his duties now, somewhat. He, Semi, and No.3 had split the responsibility and were handling things well between each other. Even during this crisis, they made sure every monster that could be helped was cared for.

Mystrium hurried out of the room, but stopped by me on his way out, standing silently for a moment.

"I heard the news just this morning." he said softly. "I am so sorry." he told me.

I held back my sadness, not allowing it to weaken me during this critical moment in time. There was no saving them now... There was no saving anyone who had fallen to what had come to be called 'Indurate Disease'.

"Thank you..." I replied in a whisper.

He waited a moment before walking on to execute the King's extreme, but necessary, order. I ignored the hate I sensed coming from him as my thoughts went to Semi, who would no doubt be joining him. I had not seen him over the past year due to... everything that has happened. I hoped deep down I would see him when this was over... whether it be in victory, or on our last breathes...

"W.D." Asgore called me.

I walked up to him as he stood by his throne, his once happy fluffy face now stern and cold as he looked at me. For once, he looked like the Boss Monster King that he was.

"Erudi's work must not be in vain. He last told me he was close to discovering a cure with Toriel." he told me.

"I believe he was, but..." I remembered watching Erudi work, even while he himself was slowly succumbing to the disease.

"Being his pupil, you know more than most about his work." Asgore looked right at me. "Therefore, I am giving you the position and authorization of Royal Scientist from this moment on." he stated.

"Lord Asgore I—!" I stuttered to say in shock.

"The entire underground is counting on you and the other scientists W.D Gaster, you MUST find a cure for this disease before the underground goes silent." he informed me. "May Erudi's knowledge continue to aid you..." he then sighed.

"I-I will not fail!" I stuttered again as I bowed to him.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing... I... I was the Royal Scientist now…! Erudi's dust rest in peace... I had no time to celebrate this honor under such dismal circumstances though. This will all mean nothing if we all turn to dust...

That evening, I stood before the Barrier, trying to calm my mind for the task ahead. I had much work to do, but with my mind spinning like this, I would never get any work done. There was just too much to process at once….

Where will you start?

I don't know yet Lillian... except, to find Erudi's notes and study them thoroughly. If he was as close as he said, I will no doubt find the information I need there. I only hope it will be enough.

Clear your mind first W.D... Relax...

The unsettling sounds of the Barrier began to fill my mind as I watched the magic that made it up swirl around, creating a faint kaleidoscope array of colors and light. I reached out and gently touched the tip end of my finger against it. It still felt so cold. It was as if I could feel the very hateful, fearful, emotions of the humans who created it. I tried to press my whole hand against it, but it was like trying to get polar opposite magnets to connect, it kept pushing me away the harder I pressed against it. I took a step back to try and charge into it.

Drago don't...! It won't work. You know it won't...

I stood up and tried to relax again. I stared at the Barrier as it stood, seemingly taunting me with its continuous noises. One day, you will fall...

"Hey W.D.." a solemn voice suddenly came from behind me.

I turned to see Semi standing like a statue, his eyes as black as the Abyss as he looked at the ground away from my gaze. His coat was in poor condition due to his constant work in the Royal Guard, and he looked exhausted, probably getting as much sleep as me, which wasn't much. I noticed a small crack on the side of his skull, from where he obtained such an injury I was not sure. I reached out to it heal it with what healing magic I knew, but he pushed me back with gravity magic.

"No contacts remember?" he reminded me.

"Y-yes, of course." I replied.

The disease was highly contagious, but I doubted that it had spread up this far. But he was right... better to not take any risks.

"So... I was told you're the new Royal Scientist?" he walked up beside me into the light from the Barrier.

"Sadly, yes." I replied, turning back to the Barrier.

"Dream come true then, huh?"

"I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Don't we all..."

The Barrier's mournful noise echoed around us as we stood watching it, the light from outside growing dimmer each minute as the day ended for the surface world. I felt anger over it for the first time, anger against the humans who trapped us here. If only there were a way to tell them about our plight, what they have put us through!

Drago... Please, don't be sad...

Sad... Neh.. If I do not succeed... of what point is it to avoid the monster's influence any longer? We will all lose our souls either way...

"I guess you know we had to seal off Waterfall." Semi broke the silence with.

"I am aware, yes." I answered.

Semi spat in disgust, the order was no doubt hard to follow. Neither of us, nor anyone for that matter, expected something like this to happen. Monsterkind was in a state of panic, grief, and hopelessness. All emotions the Black Soul Monster would feed on and grow stronger with each day this went on... How much time do we really have I wonder? Just how powerful is it at this point?

"Do you think you can do it?" Semi asked.

"I will die trying if I must." I answered, in fear of that possibility.

"Try not too, alright?" he replied.

"You as well brother." I looked down at him.

He looked up at me, the bright white magic pupils of his eyes returning. His bony smile grew on one side of his face as he tried to give me an encouraging look. I could see past it clearly though; how broken he truly was inside. We had no one left but ourselves now...

Don't break completely brothe.r.. I fear the thought of having to face this alone...

The Next Year...

"Miss Toriel... please." I asked of her, as she stood nervously in front of me with the syringe in her hands.

"But W.D, this might not work. If it is wrong you—"

"Will fall either way." I interrupted her. "Just do it!" I ordered her.

We had been working on this formula for months in the lab that Erudi had built here in Hotland for other purposes just before this crisis started, now remade into a medical center to research the much-needed cure. It had served both Erudi and I well during this crisis. Now, it may well become my final resting place as the disease I am striving to cure eats away at my very soul just as it did him.

I leaned on a counter as a surge of pain tore at my being. This horrible disease quite literally ate magic, so using magic in any form had become increasingly difficult over the past few weeks; the first sign of having the disease. It had grown worse, quicker than most other cases, and I was very quickly losing myself to it. But in Miss Toriel's hand was what I had decided might be the answer to ending not only my pain, but that of everyone else afflicted. I had not tested any of my or Toriel's previous mixtures of herbs and magic on a live subject, but, I was confident we had the right one, and was willing to risk myself to find out. Indeed, if it was wrong, my whole being might be destroyed. But that was the fate I was facing anyway.

Toriel stepped forward as I held my arm up on the counter for her. She injected the medicine into my very being, quickly reaching over for paper and pen to write down the results when she had finished. If it worked for humans like in their shows and literacy works... this must be how diseases are treated...

"Do you feel any difference?" Toriel asked me.

"Not yet..." I gasped as a surge of pain numbed my body, another sign of the disease's progression. "Splinters—" I dug my claws onto the counter.

please work... i have given up so much for this now...

"Anything?" she asked again.

I waited a moment before answering, not noticing any change in how I felt right away. Could I have been... wrong...?

"Perhaps it needed mor-" I winced in pain as another surge of numbness hit me, making my body feel like it had turned to stone. "more of the moss extract." I struggled to finish saying.

"That was the most potent ingredient. Anymore and you would be passing out by now." she told me.

"Neheh... That would be better that what I am experiencing right now..." I laughed through the pain.

"I cannot believe you are not experiencing anything thus far." she said in disbelief. "With all the herbs we mixed in, you should be having some kind of reaction by now." she continued to watch me.

My life started to flash before my eyes as I struggled to stand...

Semi... My broken down brother...

Toriel... Loyal and helpful friend...

Mystrium... A lost soul...

Calibri... A miracle letter writer of hope during this time...

Gerson... Strong and stubborn protector...

Lillian...

Lillian..!.

What will happen to her if I...?

A surge of pain brought on a mind-numbing headache. My vision blurred for a moment, but, something was odd about it. It wasn't my eyesight failing, it was as if...

Don't give up Drago...!

Toriel's curious expression looked familiar, and I somehow knew the movements she would make before she made them.

"I guess we were wrong..." Toriel sighed.

Just as I... remembered her saying... before I... died...?

My mind filled with hazy memories and thoughts... that I once had... I knew what needed to be done, what we did wrong last time. I looked at Toriel and stumbled towards her.

"Toriel..." I gasped. "Your healing magic..." I felt my body grew weaker by the second.

"What? What is it?" she was unsure of what I meant.

"Use it on me, quickly—!" I told her. "The herbs become more potent when magic is applied to them, it activates— certain proprieties— within them!" I pleaded as I fought the increasing pain.

"Yes, but, I would have to—"

"Please Toriel—!"

She quickly placed her hand on my head and funneled her healing magic into me. I could barely feel it through the numbness, but I could sense something stirring in me.

"W.D—" Toriel's voice faded...

I felt a calm come over me as I fell unconscious...

Then an overwhelming... fear...

Drago..!

YOU HAVE LIVED... VERY GOOD...

"How is he Tori?" I asked as I saw her come out of W.D's room in the Palace.

She looked my way, and smiled.

"He will recover in time Semi." she informed me.

A wave of relief came over me. He was alive. If I had lost him to this blight after losing our parents...

"This means you have a cure than?" Asgore asked from behind me.

"Yes. I will begin making it and distributing it to everyone right away." she told him.

"Semi, assemble the Guard and help her anyway you can." he ordered me.

"Right away!" I answered, quickly leaving the scene to find Mystrium and tell him the news.

This nightmare was finally over!

As soon as I had the chance, I went back to check on W.D. He was... all I had left after all. I made some tea to help calm me, but it did little good, my hands were shaking like a cactus lost in a blizzard. I was a nervous wreck after everything that had happened, and still afraid of losing someone else, anyone. I had never been this scared before...

I made my way from the Palace kitchen on through the maze like halls of the Palace to W.D's home at its back, not far from the Royal Library, where I had seen Mystrium too many times to count lately. He kept himself eye deep in books when he wasn't on duty these days, and with the crisis over, he might never come out of there now.

I got to W.D's door and knocked, but got no response. Surely he wasn't still unconscious, it's been 2 days! I hope he didn't clock out like I did before...

I decided to try and unlock the fancy magic lock he had on his door, and see if he was even in there. I recalled what he had told me about this lock once and summoned magic inside it to attempt what the Guard would call 'breaking and entering', heh. I could pick most normal locks, but this one, being behind a metal plate with no key hole to actually pick at, was much harder to figure out, I don't think it even worked the same as a normal lock. It was starting to get frustrating the more I messed around with it that's for sure.

"If you do not mind Semi, I would much like to get to my room before the day is over." W.D's voice came from behind me suddenly.

I flinched away from the lock, quickly sipping some tea to make it look like I was just waiting for him. His expression told me he didn't believe my ruse, heh. He walked over and grabbed the door handle, using his other hand to cast magic in the lock, instantly unlocking it.

"You gotta show me how to do that." I told him.

"So you can raid my personal space and leave Boss Monster's know what to surprise me?" he looked at me annoyed. "No." he answered plainly, opening the door and walking in.

"A valid reason." I sipped some tea.

I walked in behind him and watched him gaze out the window over his sloppy desk. It was covered with books, papers, blueprints, notebooks, and even some plants that were growing in small piles of dirt that had fallen out of a pot. The rest of his room was in the same disorganized condition. Can't say I blame him, my own room didn't look much better back at the Barracks after everything that's happen. He looked around at the mess, his tail dropping to the floor in response, and he began taking the books off his desk to put them back in a nearby bookcase. I took another large sip of tea to finish it off, then stuffed the cup and saucer in the pocket of my coat.

"Want some help brother?" I offered.

He paused from putting a book up, looking around the room, then turned to me with a concerned expression.

"Somewhere in this mess is a broom." he stated. "You can sweep up behind me as I get things off the floor." he returned to the bookshelf.

"Broom. Got it." I replied, quickly searching the room for it.

I found it thrown under his bed and pulled it out, along with a bunch of other stuff that he told me wasn't supposed to be down there. After a few hours, we had the place lookin' pretty sharp, all tidied up and swept clean. I offered him some tea, and when I came back with it, he was rolling up the last of his stray blueprints, dropping them a basket. I handed him his tea once he was done, and we sat on the edge of his bed together. I chuckled at the sight of my feet barely reaching past his knees off the edge of the bed.

"So how'ya feelin'?" I asked.

"As well as can be." he answered.

"That's good to hear…" I glanced away.

"Yourself?" he asked.

"Fine." I smiled up at him.

"Truly?" he asked with suspension.

I looked away from him, nervously tapping my finger against my teacup. I guess I wasn't hiding my feelings very well, though, we could always read each other like an open book, so maybe it was just obvious to him. Regardless, I didn't feel like talking about... anything really.

"The underground may never be the same after this." he sighed. "But we must all continue on in memory of those... who are not with us." he took an uneasy sip of tea.

"Yeah..." I sighed.

We sat in silence for a moment, neither of us knowing what else to say. It was just us two now though, so I guess we better figure something out.

"How is Calibri?" he asked.

"Oh she's fine." I quickly answered. "S-She's still a bit shaken up, like we all are." I added, feeling my nervous shakes getting worse.

"Semi." he put his hand on my shoulder. "Do not let your emotions overtake you, if you do..." he trailed off.

"The Monster must be having a field day..." I said.

"This gives us less time to work with." he walked over to his desk. "I need to start this now..." he said to himself.

He pulled one of the blueprints back out of the basket and laid it out on the desk. He took a sip of tea and laid it on the desk out of the way as he looked it over intently. I stood up on the bed and walked towards the headboard to get a good look at the blueprint he had out.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You should recognize it." he glanced over at me.

I looked the blueprint over, and realized it was the sketch he and Lillian had drawn up, the one that could get someone to the surface.

"You really think you can make that work?" I doubted.

"Honesty, as it stands, no, but that will not stop me from trying. Right now, it is all based on theory, but with the authority I have as Royal Scientist now, I believe I may be able to prove enough to create a way to traverse space." he explained.

"You mean like a teleporter?"

"Not quite. Teleporters, according to Doctor Time's fictional science, transport atoms through space. I am purposing going from point A to point B without having to go through normal space, otherwise the Barrier would block the signal carrying the atoms."

"You mean like you're here, then, pop, you're there?"

"Do you recall the wormholes Doctor Time would sometimes traverse?"

"I recall they take you through space as well, so, the Barrier would still block that. Right?"

"Not if you are in another dimension."

I stared at W.D, already lost and left behind.

"Look, this is how it will work..." he began to walk me through it.

A year later...

I was soon back on my normal patrols; which now included both Home and Snowdin. It was never easy walking these once closed off areas, but, I think I'm adjusting. Slowly. Walking from New Home to these parts was a challenge, but, that's what shortcuts are for. I can get to Home and back in under an hour sometimes, all depends on who I ran into to chat with along the way.

I purposely took my time walking through Hotland today, as I had clocked in early. I took in the sights and sounds of magma and passing monsters, and construction. On the main path, W.D had begun his massive project, and it was in full swing.

The CORE.

That was an acronym for... Darn it I can't remember.

I found a good spot on the path to watch the construction. Things were coming along as smooth as the butter on my breakfast toast it looked like. The main framework was half-way done, and the elevator shaft that would be used by citizens and scientist alike was also being built. I shook the burnt crumbs of my toast off when I finished it, and started back down the path, hoping to meet with W.D if he was out here. He had been pretty busy, obviously, and I hadn't seen him since me and Calibri got hitched some months ago.

Yeah, heh, I got W.D to thank for helping me out with that...

As I walked through the construction zone along the 'safe road' that was built through it, I found W.D with some of the workers, along with some of the other scientists that worked under him.

"Make sure the foundation is secure before starting the next phase of construction, I don't want half of the building falling off into the magma midway through the project." W.D told the construction crew with him.

"We'll have it checked out thoroughly Doctor, don't you worry!" the captain of the crew told him. "Alright boys, let's go!" he then ordered his crew to head out to work.

"Doctor, I-I have been looking over your calculations for the cooling system, and I think we should create a way to overcompensate t-the water intake in case of an overload situation." a feline monster told him as he nervously flipped through papers on a clipboard, then straightened his glasses as he looked up at W.D.

"Which will never happen as long as this place is built to my design; but it would not hurt." W.D replied. "How do you suggest we achieve such overcompensation?" he then asked.

The monster was at a loss for an answer and started to think to himself. He grew more nervous as W.D looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"Ice maybe?" I suggested as I walked up on them.

"Ice? How in the underground is one to get ice here without it—" W.D turned around. "Oh, Semi, of course you were the one to say that." he sighed.

"It would be m-more effective then water alone though Doctor, w-we should consider it." four eyes suggested to him.

"It would also allow for more water to go into the steam chamber, producing more power." W.D brought out. "Perhaps we could expand the waterway into the CORE..." he said to himself, lost in thought.

"And float the ice along it right in where it's needed?" I suggested, gesturing the movement. "I know a guy in Snowdin who could make the ice for'ya." I informed him.

"That is actually a brilliant idea." W.D said in surprise at me.

"Just helping my little brother out. Like I do." I straightened my coat with pride.

"Specs, have the crew assigned to the waterway redesign it to accommodate large ice forms, we will have to extend the waterway inside as well so that both the water and ice reach their destinations." he ordered him.

"I will get the update to them right away." Specs answered. "Semi. Doctor." he nodded to each of us before leaving.

I summoned a bone sword and stabbed it into the ground beside me to lean on. W.D gave me a confused stare for a moment.

"So, how are'ya doing?" I asked him in a friendly manner.

"Fine." he answered plainly. "You?" he asked.

"Same'ol same'ol." I shrugged.

"How is Missus Gaster?" he asked next.

"Oh she's doing great! We're still working on the house we bought in New Home, but I think it's coming together quite nicely!" I was happy to report.

He smiled fondly at me, and held back a chuckle.

"What?" I asked out of curiosity.

"It is just nice to see you smiling again Semi." he said.

"You too smartypants." I winked at him.

He rolled his eyes and turned towards the construction behind him.

"I will be happier once this is finished. The CORE will provide the energy needed by the entire underground as technology continues to advance." he gestured out toward the construction.

"As well as that sci-fi invention of yours." I picked up my sword and lugged it over my shoulder.

"Yes. It will use the majority of the CORE's power that it produces." W.D tapped his chin with the end of his claw. "Hopefully I will not have to disconnect the entire underground when it comes time to test it." he sighed.

"You can't store some of the energy up in a giant battery or something?" I asked.

"Possibly. But seeing as the raw geothermal energy is going to be converted into magical electricity, I would have to completely reinvent the battery to be able to hold that type of energy." he stated, probably already making it up in his head by the look on his face.

"Shouldn't be too hard." I shrugged.

"It is much easier said then done actually..." he sighed. "By the way, since I have the time, and your attention," he turned to me. "have you noticed any activity around the Abyss lately?" he asked.

I tensed up at the question. I... hadn't actually gone by and checked... for some weeks now... 'Course, I hadn't noticed anything since I started checking on it in Mystrium's place, as he had done for centuries I've come to find out. It was all pretty quiet, no signs of the Dark Soul Monster.

"Not lately, no." I decided to tell W.D.

"And overall monster behavior?" he inquired.

"Slowly getting better I think. I still get some real meanies sometimes though."

"I hope it is not just waiting to surprise us..."

"Doctor! A moment please!" someone called.

"Here we go again..." W.D moaned.

I was about to say goodbye to him, but... something felt off all the sudden. I pulled my sleeve back to look at my old reliable wrist watch. It was saying I was about to be late for reporting in at Snowdin, but that couldn't be right, I was a good hour ahead earlier.

Wasn't I...?

I wanted to ask W.D for the time to be sure, but he was already gone. I looked back at the construction and felt a wave of fear pass over me. It felt like a nightmare I had, but couldn't remember...

What in blazes was this feeling all of the sudden?

Some months later...

"So you tracked them down?" I asked Moshi, our newly appointed Royal Guard. I think…?

"Sure did! Me and the team found them hiding all the stolen goods across the river in a small cavern almost no one else could reach!" Moshi reported, the entire event sounding overly familiar to me.

"Good job." I replied.

Why was everything feeling so familiar? It felt like I had missed some days, or was… reliving them...? I couldn't remember anything clearly. This was much more than some random deja vu feeling, I just couldn't figure out why, or how, it was happening.

"Captain Semi?" Moshi noticed me.

"Heh, keep up the good work Moshi." I gave him a scratch behind the ear. "I need to catch up with someone in Hotland, so I'll be off." I told him.

We said our goodbyes and I hurried out of Snowdin and on through Waterfall. I stopped by the Abyss at the dump, just to check, and found no signs of danger. No signs of that monster poking its head out. In fact, I haven't seen Mystrium in awhile either, I should go check on the old guy.

I navigated the caverns to his house and got no answer at the door, so pulled my well stocked key chain out and used the key I had to get in. I glanced in around the living room and found it as disorganized as ever. I called for Mystrium, but there was no reply. My curiosity drew me towards his bedroom. Maybe he was sleeping in this morning? As I passed the table, I noticed something sparkle on the side of one of the chairs. The same sparkle came from the doorknob to the bedroom as well. It was almost like... monster dust. I got a handkerchief out of my pocket and wiped the sparkling liquid up in it, W.D could check it for me later. I found the bedroom empty, bed unmade, as expected, and there were no signs of anyone being here recently. I wiped my finger across the top of the end table and found the dust layer on it pretty thick.

No one's been here for days...

"Where did you go Rimmy...?" I asked myself.

I made my way out of the house and locked it back up, then I took a shortcut over to Hotland to find W.D. The last few times I'd lived through this day, I didn't think to go check on Mystrium. Maybe I should have. Only now do I realize that he has been missing for sometime, but, no one else seems to have noticed. In fact, no one has even mentioned him lately. It's like... they have forgotten him. I nearly did.

Just what is going on…?

"He can't be that busy Specs, just tell'im I have something he should look at." I told W.D's spectacled feline pupil.

"A-alright. I'll go see if he can spare you a moment." he replied, heading deeper into the lab to find W.D.

"He better have a moment to spare for his only brother, heh." I snickered.

I took a small tour of the upper floor of the lab while I waited. Computers were running, each showing data for the CORE, or displaying camera footage from somewhere in the underground. The desk that W.D would sometimes be working at was piled with files and folders, all neatly stacked and organized. I took one folder off the desk and fingered through it out of curiosity, in it was information on energy conversion values, I could tell that much by the math. I put it back and began to wander around the room, not finding much to look at that would hold my attention. I pulled the desk chair over and watched the camera feeds for a bit, not seeing to much on'm, save for the one in Waterfall, which was broken and showing only static. Still boring...

"You have something important to show me Semi?" W.D's voice woke me.

I jolted up in a scare, half awake. I got myself together and spun the desk chair around and hopped out.

"I do." I reached into my pocket for the stained handkerchief. "I need you to tell me what this strange liquid is." I showed him.

"It is hard to make out against that white cloth." he peered at it.

"It was all I had to pick it up with." I shrugged.

"Bring it down stairs." he gestured for me to follow him to the elevator.

I followed, and we were soon down in the lab itself, where most of the on-hands work was conducted. He led me to the chemistry wing, there, we got some of the liquid off the handkerchief and onto a glass slide to look at under a microscope. W.D's tail twitched with excitement as he placed the slide under the scope and began examining it.

"What'cha see?" I asked him right away.

"I have to bring it into focus before I can tell anything..." he told me.

"Well?"

"Hold on."

"The suspense is killing me De!"

"Just wait and—" he almost shouted at me. "By Asgore..." he gasped.

"What?"

"This... Where did you say you found this?" he looked at me concerned.

"Mystrium's house. It was on the doorknob to his bedroom, and there was some on a chair too." I explained. "What is it?" I was eager to know.

"If I am looking at this right, it is liquefied magic. A magical being's... being, dissolved into a liquid state." he explained.

"Which means...?"

"I'm not sure concerning Mystrium. The only way something like this could happen... but that shouldn't be..." he mumbled to himself

"You know, Mystrium has been missing for some time, but, no one seems to have noticed but me." I informed him.

He looked at me with some concern, then looked back through the microscope for a moment. He took the slide out and poured the white sparkling liquid into a vial, shaking it up and down a few times and watching it settle.

"It must be the same side effect..." he peered at it. "I need to put this in the extractor." he rushed off without me.

I struggled to keep up with his large steps as I followed him into another, much larger, room, which held... The Extractor. Flashbacks overwhelmed my mind as I remembered this thing. W.D had told me all about this, and even showed me how it worked. This thing, when powered by the CORE, could extract a soul right out of anyone, without having to kill them. He planned to use this to extract Lillian's soul from himself in order to study it, and to use it on the Dark Soul Monster to remove any souls it might have absorbed over the years.

"W-what are you going to do with this?" I stuck close to him as we passed it.

I knew that thing couldn't do what it was supposed to with the CORE incomplete, but, it still terrified me.

"If I am right, there is more then just magical energy in this sample." he began powering up the Extractor. "The Extractor should be able to separate the two energies if there are indeed two mixed in this sample." he stated.

"What's the other energy you think is in there?" I watched him set everything up.

"We are about to find out." he walked back and slammed a lever down to activate the Extractor.

After the process, W.D took two vials out and didn't look too surprised by what he found. One was filled with bright white liquid, clearly magic, the other had a thick red liquid that sparkled with a faint yellow light. Kinda like gold flakes on plutonic rock that could be found in the mines between Waterfall and Hotland. I'd never seen anything like it before.

"If Mystrium is still alive, he is slowly losing what little physical form he has." W.D stated as he examined the red liquid.

"Ho- Why's that?" I stuttered to ask.

"This, my dear brother, is what I have coined Will Power." he told me, handing the red vial down to me for me to look at it. "It is what makes human souls as powerful as they are; what gives them the ability to persist after death for so long." he explained.

"ok..." I was unsure what this all meant.

"If this is indeed a piece of Mystrium as I suspect, then his levels of WP have exceeded past a safe limit and have begun to destabilize his magic based body." he clearly explained.

"But how did he get it in the first—" a random memory resurfaced. "Oh yeah, he has a human soul... you... told me that already, didn't you?" I was shocked at the sudden appearance of once forgotten memories.

"I have explained many things to you time and again Semi, but you fail to retain memories as well as I do over the replayed days." he looked down at me. "I do hope you remember enough about this to not ask me to explain it again." he said some annoyance.

Replayed... days... I seem to remember something about that.

"How come you remember it better? Is it because you are the one causing time to rewind?" I more memories came to me as I thought on it.

"That has been our theory, but I believe the WP of Lillian's soul is also contributing to my retention of repeated events." he replied.

A thought came to me… It blocked out the rest of my mind… I stared at the vial of WP in my hand… I needed this for something...

"Makes sense." I slipped the vial into my pocket.

All I could feel was...

SADNESS

My mind went to the Rift in the CORE, W.D's way out of the underground. It was almost done. Once completed, W.D's theory of turning it into a time machine... I could save all of them with that... I could go back and... I just needed to wait until W.D finished it, then I could... And if he tries to stop me…!

"Semi?" W.D noticed my mood.

"I-I guess I should go look for Mystrium?" I snapped out of my thoughts.

"You may not find him Semi. Last I was with him, he hardly even acknowledged I was there. I believe his soul may be completely under the control of the monster, though, not absorbed by it yet, thank the stars." he stated.

HE FEARS THE POWER IT BRINGS...

Power?

DO NOT LET HIM FAIL IN COMPLETING THE RIFT... IF YOU WISH TO SAVE THEM, HE MUST NOT STOP...

"If we put an end to the monster, do you think Mystrium might return?" I asked.

"Very possible yes." he answered. "But first I must complete the CORE. Once that is done, we will begin to make plans to lure that monster here to extract whatever soul power it has."

"You said once that human soul power was needed to make the Rift able to travel through time?"

"Time Magic is needed to create a portal through time, but, if a monster were to try to travel through without enough WP to hold their magical being together, it could result in... a disastrous outcome."

"That's why the CORE creates magic electricity."

"That will be converted into Time element magic once I finish designing a magic element converter, in order to better stabilize the rift itself." he told me. "Why are you suddenly interested in the time traveling potential of the Rift?" he asked.

"Eh, no particular reason, in fact, it sounds like a lot of extra work when compared to getting past the Barrier by traveling through dimensions." I answered.

"It is, but I still intend to investigate it as we go along." he replied.

AS DO I...

"Well, you know where I live if you ever need my help W.D." I winked up to him. "In fact, I should be getting home about now anyway." I began stepping back out of the room. "So... Thanks and see'ya later!" I snapped of my fingers at him, racing out.

I could save them all... It was so easy to do..! The Rift can't be completed fast enough for me! I could bring them all back!